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One week (mostly) vegan...any support and advice is appreciated!
Started
by CarolineB88
on December 21, 2012
I finished reading The Kind Life last week. I work at a no-kill animal shelter, so the book really hit home for me. How can I be working so hard to save a few types of animals and not be working to save them all? I've had a few times this week I haven't been able to be 100% vegan, and they've centered around family. My dad, sweet man that he is, is a big meat eater but was willing to try a veggie lasagna for dinner, but not a vegan one. Any advice on how to stay vegan around a non-vegan family would be appreciated and loved!
Hello CarolineB88!
I am also transitioning to vegan. I have been since just before Thanksgiving. The great thing is that there are so many resources like websites and books like this one and The Kind Diet book. I know it is hard with family. I eat with my folks a lot and my dad teases me a bit about it but for some reason my mom has been really resistant to it. It is like she feels I am condemning her and my upbringing or something. My advice is to keep giving answers to their questions in a calm way (even if you feel your blood pressure raising). For family, especially your parents, you are in the role that they see you as and when you challenge that by growing and shaking things up, these are the people that will be the most resistant to it (unfortunately). Just remember it is out of love that they are acting as they are.
As for general advice, I read the books Eating Animals, Veganist, Mad Cowboy and Dominion. They are interesting and informative and keep me motivated. The best websites for recipes I have found are this one (of course lol), chooseveg.com, vegweb.com, vrg.org, vegan.org and vegancooking.com. Peta's site has a lot of info on animal testing (products from companies who do and don't test on animals and use animal products). I am going to change out my personal care products as I run out of what I have. Otherwise, it would get WAY to expensive.
The main thing is to remember why you are changing your lifestyle and that you can go at your own pace and not feel guilty about it if you fall off the vegan wagon. You can get back on and keep rocking. :)
Best of luck!!
Amy P.
Hey Caroline B88. First, Happy New Year to ya and congratulations! What a great and wonderful decision you have made and I am so happy for you! Big hug. I can relate to being the only vegan in the house. For over ten years ,I was the only pescetarian eater in my family. You get used to it. Just decide that you are going to be okay with it. I remember at first I got little jokes here and there, got teased a little; but my family worked with me. Not that they stopped eating chicken but they just shrugged it off and it became part of the norm. Ha! And now that I'm vegan , it was a little bit of a shock. But if you just look at it like this " I'm going to cook whatever I want just for me and make it so that it tastes so good I will want to eat it all" I'm telling you , they may not love what you make, but they will love that you are so happy with what you're eating they will SUUUUUUURE be curious about having some for themselves. Its happened with me and my family for a month. I've been cooking raw dishes, cooked dishes, smoothies, pancakes... and they eeeeeat it. I am really happy . They don't always love it . But if you do it for you, the rest falls away. Add some main dishes they really like , jazz it up - it will work out. xxx
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